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Town Hall Topic - Food

70K views 176 replies 128 participants last post by  Azkal88 
#1 ·
• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?
• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?
• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?
• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?
• If you feed a super-premium dog food, what made you decide to switch to it? Where did you learn about the super-premium dog food? (word of mouth, internet, friends, vet, etc)
 
#78 · (Edited)
• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?
Merrick dry kibble. He has been on the "Puppy Plate" and is switching over to the "Wilderness blend" as we speak. He occasionally gets a few table scraps, but not often, and we don't eat junk food, so it's nothing to throw him off.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?
Two cups at 5 am and two cups at 5:30 pm. He was on 2.5 cups per serving when it looked like he needed it, but has seemed to catch up and is maintaining well on what he's getting now.

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?
Yes, mostly for training. We look for the same ingredients that are in a quality dog food, and avoid any with fillers or byproducts. Some regulars are the Sniffer's brand or the Foster and Smith brand of either buffalo (which he goes wild for) or the liver.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?
Yes - NuVet (for now). We started giving them to him as a pup because the breeder said they are the only way to go, and the health guarantee isn't valid if you don't feed them. Little did we know at the time that she gets a kick-back on them.....

• If you feed a super-premium dog food, what made you decide to switch to it? Where did you learn about the super-premium dog food? (word of mouth, internet, friends, vet, etc)
As for diets, we did our research online and got advice from friends who have been studying it even longer.

Back when we got your German Shorthair 16 years ago, we didn't have access to the internet, so we followed our vets advice and fed him Science Diet. It wasn't until not too long ago that we realized that it isn't the best quality food, and (apparently) the vets also get a kick-back for pushing it... I don't know if the last part is true, but it would be too bad if it is.
 
#79 ·
• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?

Storm and Pirelli get kibble. From time to time she gets the occasional hamburger, sometimes home made sometimes fast food. Steak, eggs, and she recently took a shine to ham. Other table scraps also.

We had always heard good things about Eukanuba so we tried it. We had her on what the breeder had been feeding her because she came with a bag but we switched quickly.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?

We give her and Pirelli a healthy sized bowl a day.

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?

They get treats every time they go potty NOT on my carpet lol. Sometimes when they are just being sweethearts they will get one. I was told to make sure the first ingredient was meat. We have been using Smokehouse brand which the only ingredient is chicken, turkey, beef, or duck depending on which ones you get.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?

We are thinking of doing this but I haven't got around to asking about it on here. I will have to make a post this evening about it.

• If you feed a super-premium dog food, what made you decide to switch to it? Where did you learn about the super-premium dog food? (word of mouth, internet, friends, vet, etc)

As of now they are getting Eukanuba but we are going to switch to Canidae shortly. I learned about it on here and did a little research online. I guess these would be super premium?
 
#80 ·
I was feeding Quentin Innova Lg breed puppy chow but have recently added in California Natural lamb and rice formula from the same makers. He is 8 months old and very, very large.
I feed him 2 cups at 630am, 2 cups at 730Pm and about 2/3 cup at 130am when my husband comes to bed he gives him this for a snack. I'm scared to feed him alot at once cause I have heard of the bloat that Dobermans get.
He gets no table scraps. I do however give him and my other dogs a piece of my bannana w/ a dab of peanut butter, or a bite of apple with no skin. I give them lean treats that I was getting at the Vet, now I buy them in a 20 pack from Amazon.com.
His coat is very glossy and he is not too fat or skinny. I don't give him supplements, should I?
I switched to the premium dog food from Purina puppy chow that the breeder was giving him because of his potential size, and a friend who owns Dobermans recommened it because of the copper storage problems that they sometimes have.
 
#81 ·
I feed Susie solid gold & Eagle Pack dog food right now. 1/2 can morning & Evening with 1 1/2 cups dry food. We add 1/2 tsp of sea meal, and 1 fresh ground tablespoon of flaxseed. (Flax seed has to be fresh ground). It is of no value after cooked and spoils fast. since we eat it daily we have it.

In the evening she gets 4 ounces of meat, and this is dependent on what is on sale. I would like to feed raw, but wife won't let me. So i cook it rare on the grill. I can usually get cheep lundon broil for 1.49 a lb, or potroast for the same.

Ed
 
#82 ·
Wow great questions.

First off Dado and Zayden both get All life stages Canidae. They each get 2 cups twice a day (6:30AM, 6:30PM) While they are 9 months apart they are still growing puppies and I actually called Canidae to get tips and suggestions on their foods. We actually decided to go with Canidae after reading the posts here and about 4 days of real intensive learning about other foods.

I am still really interested in feeding RAW, but I am curious what the Canidae will cost over a couple of months compared to a RAW diet. While I am sure the RAW is probably a bit better than kibble I have to do more research and weigh the costs and I am pretty happy with the Canidae.

Treats are given a couple of times a day. Mostly in the afternoon and one after our evening walk, about an hour or so before bed time. We give Milkbone, K-9 Cuisine treats and once in a while a lick of some natural peanut butter.

We do not do supplements right now, but possibly will in the future to help out with their joints and such since displaysia can be a concern in dobes.

P.S. If anyone has any other good tips on RAW and maybe more importantly the costs of RAW and how tro make it more economical, PLEASE feel fre to send this way.

Rob,AJ,Dado & Zayden
 
#83 ·
Ember (my female) gets Canidae kibble (1 1/2c twice daily). Hannah (Female Boston) gets Canidae (1/2 cup twice daily). I mix in veggies and sometimes some wet food. Rommel (cardio male) gets Science Diet Mature 7+ (cuz it's low sodium) 2 cups morning and night. He also eats nature's variety raw beef patties (though I cook them a bit), he also eats Science Diet canned food (also low in sodium) and alot of chicken gizzards (HE LOVES THEM), steak, turkey and pretty much anything else he wants at this point.

Yes they get treats...usually Dogswell chicken strips or chicken and apple, Pup-corn, bully stix, Canidae biscuits.

I supplement fish oil for all three.
 
#84 ·
Rock gets Canidae Lamb and Rice twice a day totalling 5 cups a day . I've had a hard time finding a food that keeps his dandruff in check. This Lamb and Rice formula works great. I do supplement about 3-5 week with Grizzly Salmon oil.

He gets two Canidae snap biscuits a day. One when I leave for work and one when I go to bed. For training I use Wellness well bites Duck and Salmon. They are great because you can break them I have and the ingredient list is all natural and short.

I wanted to try Canidae because I heard nothing but good things about it. I found it on the web after doing some searches on it.
 
#85 ·
Anybody try Nutro Herring w/rice & potato? We've got an otherwise healthy 7-yr.old dobe who is almost constantly biting and scratching at himself. This was recommended to me, and have been feeding it to him for the last three weeks - no discernable improvement yet. The vet who last cleaned his teeth said that his gums were full of hair, and that it might be something compulsive he is doing (the dog, not the vet) but I think he really is itchy. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Janet
 
#90 ·
I think chicken feet are great. I only use them for treats though, especially after doing nails. I've heard they have lots of glucosamine but don't have any stats. She was so young in those pics now it doesn't take her that long to finish off ribs, and she would be fed outside, lol.
 
#91 ·
Precise Chicken Meal and Rice Formula. 2 cups twice daily for Hector, 1 cup twice daily for the girls. I also add some Merrick canned food in the evening meal because I like to spoil them. :) I used to feed Eukanuba Premium Performance and they did very well on it- until the price went up and they added by-products to the ingredients. Prior to that they were on Pinnacle chicken & oats but I found that it wasn't calorie dense enough- they had trouble maintaining weight- and it was expensive!

The Precise is quality ingredients, high calorie, and reasonable cost. Works for me.

Supplements: glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM, and fish oil, occassionally a bit of yogurt.
 
#92 ·
Hi,

Great topic! I will list the questions, with my answers following :)

• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?

We feed Solid Gold WolfKing. Gunner gets 4-5 cups, daily; the APBTs get 2-3 cups, and the Chis are free fed. I worry about Hypoglycemia with them, so they have food in front of them at all times.

We have tried several foods over the years, with varied results. Everyone but Gunner did fabulous on Canidae. He didn't hold his weight very well on it. We tried just switching him, but the rest of the brats were jealous and kept trying to steal his food, so we switched everybody. I am glad we did. They all have better pigment and shinier coats now.

My absolute favorite diet that we ever fed was RAW. All of our furkids did sooo well on it. Great coats, tons of energy, *gorgeous* white teeth and lots of energy! And they loved it! But it just got really difficult when traveling for shows, trials, vacations, etc. So we tried just feeding kibble when we traveled, but they wouldn't touch it. lol. Smart doggies! So we now feed the WolfKing as a main staple and supplement with RAW a couple times a week. That has worked out well for us, and the dogs enjoy the variety.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?

We feed once a day. It's easier when traveling, and this way they are used to it, so it's one less thing to alter in their routine when we're on the road. See above for amounts

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?

Yes, we give a variety of treats. I like to make home-made as often as possible, but there isn't always time for it. So I try to buy healthier treats that are corn, wheat and soy-free. Especially when we're training a lot and they are getting more treats than usual.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?

Aside from the RAW, we give Solid Gold SeaMeal and peanut oil (be careful of peanut allergies if you decide to try it!!!). The peanut oil helps condition their coat from the inside out and cuts down (drastically!) on the shedding.

• If you feed a super-premium dog food, what made you decide to switch to it? Where did you learn about the super-premium dog food? (word of mouth, internet, friends, vet, etc)

I have done a ton of research into dog foods. APBTs tend to have sensitive skin and can easily develop food allergies. Plus, we ask a lot of our furkids. They spend many weekends out of the year traveling to various events and we want them to be as healthy, and have as much energy, as possible. Plus, we want to have them with us for a good long time. I personally wouldn't touch the grocery store brands, and wouldn't feed Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc. if you paid me. That being said, I know of a long-time (30+ years) Dalmation breeder who swore by Purina Dog Chow and Puppy Chow. So, at the end of the day, you have to figure out what works best for you and your dog(s).

I found this website: The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare? to be extremely helpful.

And that's my 2 cents :)

~Kelly~
 
#93 ·
What I feed

I feed my crew Canidae mixed with canned food twice a day. They go through about 25 pounds of deluxe dog bones - they get raw bones - they get chicken jerky (I have a dehydrator).... if I have left overs they get that - the only thing they don't get is anything spicey we may have had - chili for instance. I occassionally throw in some yogurt - cottage cheese.
I only have the Doberman puppy - but I have three older dogs of different breeds.
 
#94 ·
Bil-Jac

I feed syd Biljac kibbles. I was sold because the food breaks down when introduced to water ( & stomach acids i presume) opposed to expanding like a marshmellow as Nutro and most other brands do. Also they dont spray the fat content on so its not oily and shiney like some food. She seems to like it and I think it has good stuff in it, but I'm no expert. Seems better than Iams, pedegree, science diet, and others. Maybe some of you can tell me the nitty gritty on this brand, but so far it's doin the job. I get it at petsmart for $36 a 40lb bag.


Protein, not less than 23%
Fat, not less than 16%
Crude Fiber, not more than 4%
Moisture, not more than 10%
Glucosamine 375 mg/kg *
Chondroitin Sulfate 30 mg/kg *

Ingredients:
Chicken By Products (Organs Only, Including Chicken Liver), Chicken, Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Cane Molasses, Egg Product, Salt, Sodium Propionate, (a preservative), DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Chondroitin Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganous Oxide, Inositol, BHA (a preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite.
 
#95 ·
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#97 ·
I am planning to pick up some Solid Gold later today. I will get the puppy formula for large breeds. Just did a search online after reading posts here and can get it at a pet store in town! I hadn't seen it at the other places I have been. So, hopefully Zeus will like it and will begin to fill out a bit. He is really thin now, though the vet says he's in excellent health and he does enjoy himself to the maximum! His coat looks really nice, but I do worry a bit about his weight. I think I'll make some satin balls as well. I found that recipe on this site as well. Zeus says "thanks a bunch!!" :)
 
#98 · (Edited)
• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?

Pro Plan Chicken & Rice. I've been feeding it for 15-20 years. Some of my race whippets eat/have eaten a raw diet.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?

I feed Cher twice a day, the whippets once a day. Cher gets anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 cups twice a day depending on her metabolism at the time.

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?

Everyone gets a small plain old generic dog biscuit every time they go in either their crates or their kennel runs. I also use treats for tracking and training. These are usually our dinner leftovers, either chicken or steak cut up. I also sometimes use hotdogs if I'm out of leftovers.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?

I add ACV daily because people on this forum recommended it so highly. I also add tahitian noni daily, only because I have another dog on it and he doesn't use it up fast enough. LOL She looks exactly the same now as she did before the ACV and Noni, but she's always had a nice coat to begin with. She also gets 1000 mg of vit C daily.
 
#99 ·
• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?

I feed Cher twice a day, the whippets once a day.
Julie, how come you feed the whippets only once daily? Just curious. We've met briefly at the WAE. Remember, I have a whippet too, one of the Truman x Jada kids.
 
#101 ·
Julie, how come you feed the whippets only once daily? Just curious. We've met briefly at the WAE. Remember, I have a whippet too, one of the Truman x Jada kids.
It's easier to feed once a day without ever having to disrupt their feeding schedule for training/practice/conditioning/showing etc. Cher is the only one I feed twice a day because of the breeds propensity to bloat, so I have to time her exercise more carefully around her meals, and also bring her breakfast with me every Saturday so she can eat after she tracks.

I have a whippet too, one of the Truman x Jada kids.
Then we are related :) I bred Jada's dad, and I also bred to Truman years ago.
 
#102 ·
My black female Mia gets 2 cups in the morning of Natural Balance Duck and Potatoe (she has had food allergies) and then 2 @ night.
My red male Duke gets 2-3 cups of Eukanuba Premium Performance and then 2-3 at night as well.
Then I will throw in the treats like milk bones, bones, or a occasional pig ear. My female LOVES to eat so we have to make sure not to feed her too much at a time.
 
#103 ·
• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu?
Tucker gets 1 cup of Innova Large Breed Puppy food - a dry kibble. I chose this particular food for several reasons.
  1. The quality of the food and ingredients are excellent.
  2. The company uses stringent quality control procedures.
  3. They employ a noted board certified veterinary nutritionist full time.
  4. They are 100% forthcoming about quality control.

I know puppy food isn't popular, so let me explain something... Most choose not to feed puppy food because they feel that it can lead to orthopedic disorders. That is true...to a degree. Essentially, it relates to feeding too many calories, and causing a pup to grow too fast. Aditionally, large breed puppies have different calcium and phosphorus needs. So a puppy food formulated for a large breed dog (i.e. anything over 55# adult weight) has all those factors taken into account, including decreased calories and adjusted Ca/P ratios.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much?
I feed one cup at a time, three times per day. I would like him to stay on the leaner side. He's also not a chow hound. If he doesn't eat his food within 15 minutes, it is pulled, and then offered again at normal meal time.

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day?
I use Butler Large Breed Lean Treats as training treats. They're soft, chewable low-calorie treats that can be easily cut up for training. I would say he gets three whole ones per day (about the size of a camera battery), plus one that is cut up in small pieces for training.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? What made you decide to add supplements?
Tucker gets a blend of essential fatty acids (Borage, Flax, Fish oils) and a Vitamin C/E capsule once daily. I'm giving him the EFAs because the weather here dried out his skin very quickly. The Vit C/E is just to support immune health. I'm not entirely convinced they work, but I am convinced that they can't really hurt.

• If you feed a super-premium dog food, what made you decide to switch to it? Where did you learn about the super-premium dog food? (word of mouth, internet, friends, vet, etc)
'Super premium' is a moniker made up by elitist pet food brands. Most of those so-called super premium foods have terrible quality control, and don't even have a nutritionist working on formulations. But yes, the food I'm feeding falls into the 'super premium' category as far as Dog Food Analysis is concerned. Though their input is less than valuable to me... I chose the food for the reasons stated above.

I primarily chose Innova because they balance the qualities that I consider important - strong scientific basis, research, quality control, and wholesome ingredients. Most companies can't manage to get all of those. They're great with ingedients, but don't have the science. Or they've got amazing research and formulations, but don't use my favorite ingredients. Natura pet products were the only ones that really met all those standards for me.
 
#104 ·
Morning: 2 cups of kibble
Lunch: roast beef or perhaps a little bit of my lunch
Dinner: 4 cups of kibble

I'll have to start adding some oil to her diet since she still looks a bit skinny and her coat is starting to look like an albino (dandruf).

treats: hotdogs. (don't use the hotdogs with cheese, they're messy!)
 
#105 ·
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• What is the daily menu for your Doberman’s diet? (Kibble, wet food, raw, home cooking, etc) and what made you decide to feed this way? Have you fed any other foods prior to your current menu? Annie gets fed a raw diet. I like to give her a veriety of things such as: beef heart, turkey(ground, necks, backs, and thighs), pork trim, beef, deer, fish, rabbit, tripe, ostrich(ground, nuckles, heads,and legs), chicken quarters,and her favorite lamb heads. Before raw she ate Evo mixed with Eagle pack.

• How many times a day do you feed them and how much? I feed 2 times a day unless she has a big meal. Annie gets feed about 2.5lbs a day.

• Do you give treats? If so, what kind? How many/often do they get treats each day? She gets a bit of what ever I am eating as a treat.

• Do you add any supplements to your Doberman’s diet? If so, which ones do you give? Annie get ACV, fish oil, vit E, vit C, kelp, and prozyme.
 
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